Explained: Why does the Queen celebrate 2 birthdays?

Despite the fact that the monarch turns 96 this week, her party does not begin until June, as it has been the tradition.

While Queen Elizabeth‘s own big day is April 21, she’ll have a second, much greater party on June 11 for what is regarded as the sovereign’s formal birthday, which will be honoured by the traditional Trooping the Colour parade.

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However this year to commemorate her Majesty’s Platinum Jubilee weekend, the Queen’s Birthday Parade, Trooping the Colour, will take place on June 2 instead of June 11.

The monarch’s birthday is commemorated on her actual birthday in April, as well as with a huge parade by Buckingham Palace later in the summer. The two celebrations’ birthdays can be a source of uncertainty for some.

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When was the Queen actually born?

The Queen was born on April 21, 1926. She was born by Caesarean section at 2.40 a.m. at her maternal grandparents’ Mayfair home.

What does the Queen do to commemorate her birthday?

The event is celebrated by a succession of gun salutes, including a 41-gun salute in Hyde Park, a 21-gun salute in Windsor Great Park, and a 62-gun salute at the Tower of London. The gun salutes are usually performed on the monarch’s birthday. However, due to the continuing coronavirus shutdown, the salute has not taken place for the last two years.

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What is the significance of the Queen’s second birthday?

The tradition of the British monarch commemorating two birthdays dates back to 1748, during King George II’s reign. 

The king’s birthday happened in late October, the weather was unsuitable for a major, public celebration in his honour. Hence, the monarch’s formal birthday celebrations were mixed with the Trooping the Colour procession in the summer, which had hitherto been primarily a military affair.

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What is the date of the Queen’s second birthday?

The Queen’s second birthday also known as the official birthday” is generally celebrated on the second Saturday of June.

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What does the Queen do to commemorate her formal birthday?

The Trooping the Colour parade is the premiere event celebrating the Queen’s official birthday in June. The Trooping the Colour parade, which normally includes more than 1,400 troops, 200 horses, and 400 musicians, marches along The Mall towards the Horse Guard’s Parade from Buckingham Palace.

The procession concludes with a fly-past by the Royal Air Force, which the Queen and the royal family observe from the Buckingham Palace balcony. With limitations relaxed across the UK, Trooping the Colour is set to take place in London on Thursday 2 June, rather than Saturday 11 June, which is the Queen’s formal birthday. It is one of several major events scheduled for the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee, which will honour her 70th year on the throne.